The RMS Rhone is a legendary ship wreck that has brought to life an attractive marine park. It is one of the most popular dives in the Caribbean. Its awful story continues to interest and mesmerize us.
Captain Woolley selected the closest course to open sea with the network between Dead Breast Island and Black Rock Factor on Salt Island. As Rhone occurred to approach the point the tail end of the storm threw her onto the rocks.
The History
Throughout the yellow high temperature epidemic of the 1860s, transatlantic passenger ships stopped on a regular basis at Roadway Harbour, Tortola and Great Harbour on Peter Island to transfer travelers and freight in between them. Master Frederick Woolley of the Rhone had been cautioned by a going down measure that a storm was coming, however thinking that the storm season was over, he chose to remain at Great Harbour for the transfer with an additional RMS ship, Conway.
Just as they were passing Black Rock Point between Salt and Dead Breast islands, the climate suddenly changed direction. The preliminary stumble captured the Rhone on her side and she wrecked against the rocky reef. Legend has it that Captain Wooley was utilizing a silver tsp (which continues to be dirtied in the coral today) to stir his cup of tea at the time. The wreck is now a prominent dive website, home to a remarkable selection of aquatic life. Many people agree that a full exploration of the site needs 2 different dives, as the bow and strict areas are spread out apart at various midsts.
The Wreckage
The Rhone relaxes under the cozy clear waters of the Caribbean Sea and is a celebrated dive site today. Site visitors can discover the extremely undamaged bow area, see where scenes from the 1977 movie The Deep were fired, and swim under the strict near its huge 15 foot prop. This bristling marine park is a reminder of the delicate balance between male and nature.
On 29th October 1867 as Captain Wooley was preparing to secure the Rhone in Roadway Harbor, the wind and waves changed and he decided to try to beat the approaching storm out right into the ocean blue. He guided the ship to Black Rock Factor in between Dead Breast and Golden-haired Rock, a pair of rocky pinnacles rising up from the water. The ship struck the rocks and sank in two areas with the cold water of the inbound trend speaking to the warm central heating boilers triggering an explosion and sinking the vessel with all 123 passengers still tied to their beds.
Snorkeling
One of one of the most renowned wreckage dives in the Caribbean, snorkelers can quickly check out much of the Rhone by just floating on a mask and breathing through the sea. The much deeper bow area is specifically unspoiled, a kaleidoscope of orange cup reefs teeming with yacht rentals in georgia yellowtail snapper, sennets and jacks. It's also where scenes from the 1977 movie The Deep were recorded.
The strict and stomach are a lot more broken up, but they offer a haunting glance of a previous age. Divers should intend on at the very least 2 dives to fully experience the Rhone, especially given that presence can often be challenging. Highlights consist of the fortunate porthole, which divers massage forever luck, and the popular bronze propeller. The rusting skeletal system of the Rhone is a legendary sight in the BVI and is a must-see for any diving or boating fanatic. The ship is open to the general public for exploration, and many neighborhood dive boats visit daily. The Rhone is shielded by the National forest Service, and entry is absolutely free.
Diving
One of the Caribbean's most celebrated wreckage dives, Rhone is a desired site for its historic appeal and teeming aquatic life. It's open and relatively secure, making it appropriate for divers of all experience degrees.
The tale behind the wreckage is tragic: as she was moving passengers to an additional ship, Conway, at Road Harbour on Tortola, Rhone rounded Black Rock Point and encountered it at full speed. Hot central heating boilers smashed versus chilly salt water and blew up, sending the Rhone collapsing into the rocks and sinking in mins. Only 23 of the 146 individuals aboard survived. Their bodies were hidden on Salt Island.
The wreck split in two when it sank, and the bow area drifted to much deeper waters, while the stern resolved at regarding 80 feet. Both are swallowed up in coral reefs and lived in by marine life, consisting of institutions of yellowtail snappers, sennets, jacks and grunts. It takes at the very least two dives to discover the entire wreckage, though, given that the bow and stern areas are separated by regarding 100 feet of water.
